Nawaz Sharif returns to political arena after months-long absence

[Abdullah719]

Nawaz Sharif reentered the political arena after a gap of more than three-and-a-half months in Murree, his favourite hill resort, prior to by-elections.

The former PM arrived in Murree earlier on Thursday night.

He has since been staying there at his luxurious residence located at the Kashmir Point near the Mall Road.

On Friday, Nawaz held meetings with party workers from Murree, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, besides visiting the local press club where a condolence reference was held in connection with the death of Nawaz’s wife and former first lady, Kulsoom Nawaz.

All through the day, the former PM was accompanied by some senior party leaders, including Senator Asif Kirmani, it is learnt.

The former PM is in Murree at a time when top local leaders, including former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, are in Lahore. Abbasi is in Lahore for his by-election campaign in the NA-124 Lahore constituency.

PML-N’s Secretary-General and former provincial minister Raja Ashfaq Sarwar, also from Murree, is in Lahore too undergoing medical treatment after suffering a brain hemorrhage a few weeks ago.

Nawaz is likely to stay in Murree for the next few days.

The former PM did not appear in the Accountability Court in Islamabad on Friday after he was granted exemption from appearing in person in the Al Azizia reference. He is due to appear on Monday.

Till his upcoming appearance at the Accountability Court, Nawaz is expected to stay in Murree.

Nawaz also visited the residence of his younger brother, the late Abbas Sharif, in Murree where he attended guests who offered condolences over Kulsoom’s death, sources in the PML-N said.

Nawaz is likely to step up his political activities from the first week of October by holding gatherings and address corner meetings of PML-N’s by-election candidates, PML-N sources said.

The by-polls are scheduled to be held on 11 National Assembly seats, 13 of the Punjab Assembly, nine Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and two seats each of Sindh and Balochistan Assemblies.

Senior PML-N leaders cited three factors that might help boost the N-League’s vote bank. They included bail granted to Nawaz and his other two family members by the Islamabad High Court in the Avenfield Apartments reference, allowing him to canvass freely for by-elections, sympathy vote in the wake of Kulsoom’s death, besides capitalizing on unpopular decisions taken by PTI.

Nawaz was mainly detached from political activities since June 14 when he and his daughter Maryam Nawaz left for London to attend ailing Kulsoom.

On July 6, the Accountability Court announced its verdict in the Avenfield Apartments reference and sentenced Nawaz to 10 years in prison, seven-year sentence to his daughter, Maryam, besides awarding a year-long prison term to Maryam’s husband Capt (retd) Sadfar.

Nawaz and Maryam arrived in Pakistan on July 13 and were immediately flown to Adiala Jail Rawalpindi soon after they landed in Lahore.

Safdar was arrested and jailed a few days before the two other Sharifs.

On September 11, Kulsoom lost a year-long battle with cancer and breathed her last in London.

The same night, Sharifs and Safdar were granted an initial 12-hour parole and flown to Lahore in connection with Kulsoom’s funeral at Jati Umra in Raiwind.

On September 12, the parole was extended to five days and the three were jailed again on September 17.

On September 19, the IHC ordered the release of Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar on bail.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1814075/1-murree-serves-launching-pad-nawaz/

 

[MenInG]

We should all wear black armbands on this day

 

[DRsohail]

Crook is back.

 

[Bewal Express]

Crook is back.

IA it will be for only a short while. There are quite a few Justice Qayyums in the LHC and IHC but these have been humiliated before and will continue to be humiliated.

 

[the Great Khan]

Just like the British NS see's Murree as a nice place to chill..pathetic..just describes his mindset. Hopefully he will be back in the Kacheeri as soon as possible!! This man has made a mess of everything!! and to boot we havent been able to get a single penny of his illgotten wealth!!

 

[Badsha]

inshaAllah he will be back in jail.

 

[shaaik]

His fate has already been sealed, he may enjoy some time in between away from the jail however his final abode is Adialia and he will reach there sooner or later.

 

[PakLFC]

His wealth has to be seized. Can't believe that's not happening.

 

[srh]

Pakistan justice system is a joke

 

[Gollum]

What do you guys make of this "news"?

'Punjab govt may end in two months,' claims PML-N's Rana Mashhood

Javed HussainUpdated October 02, 2018

PML-N leader Rana Mashhood stirred up a storm on Tuesday when he seemed to suggest during a TV interview that the security establishment had played a role in Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) victory in the 2018 elections and that it (the establishment) had now realised that the PTI leaders were not capable of delivering what had been expected of them.

The controversy began with an interview the PML-N leader gave to Samaa TV. During the interview, Mashhood was asked whether the civil-military tensions that had reportedly marred the tenure of the last PML-N government still existed after the end of the party's rule.

"I think the relations have improved to a considerable extent," Mashhood said. He was then asked how the fences with the establishment were mended.

"The situation has improved I think because 'they' have now realised that those whom they had considered horses, turned out to be mules. And the mules are not able to deliver," the video footage showed him as saying.

Although the interview available online is a compilation of clips and appears edited at points, Mashhood seemed to be suggesting that the establishment had agreed to improve relations with the PML-N because its expectations from PTI leaders had been quashed after the Imran Khan-led party came into power.

He then appeared to say that PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif had a "very large" role in the reported patch-up between the party and the establishment.

Mashhood's statements elicited a strong reaction from the military's media wing, while the PML-N distanced itself from his claims. Mashhood for his part claimed that his remarks were shared out of context.

"Attribution of an obvious vested statement by Rana Mashhood is baseless and regrettable," tweeted Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor.

"Such irresponsible expressions are detrimental to stability in the country," he added, without elaborating.


'Punjab govt may end in two months'
Later, while talking to Geo News, Mashhood reiterated his belief that the PTI government in Punjab will "end" within the next two months or so and be replaced by his own party's setup.

"It is now strongly felt that Shahbaz Sharif would have been a better choice. If Shahbaz Sharif had been prime minister, he would have handled things much better."

He also denied saying that a "deal" was in the works with the establishment to bring the PML-N back to power in Punjab.

"We have always been against any deals, we have always kept a principled stand [...] Yes, Shahbaz Sharif has always wanted to take the institutions along; to work on a new charter [to work with institutions] [...] but that does not mean some kind of deal has been struck," he said in a rambling statement.

"Everyone can work together and find a way forward in the current situation," he said.

Instead, he said that his prediction for the PTI government's fall had stemmed from chatter between different departments.

"I am basing this on inter-departmental conversations. There has been a change of heart in those circles. There will be our government in Punjab [within two months]."

The PML-N stalwart further said that incumbent Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar's reign will end within the next few months through "either a public or judicial decision".

Mashhood's remarks were made in individual capacity: Sanaullah
Mashhood's statements were disowned by fellow PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah, who insisted that remarks made in individual capacity cannot be considered the party policy.

"I do not think this matter has been discussed at party level," said Sanaullah, who is also a former Punjab law minister. "Someone's remarks in their individual capacity cannot be attributed to the party."

"The PML-N will not support any non-democratic force," he added. "We are not in favour of breaking any governments and forming our own through non-democratic measures. We believe in democratic institutions and civilian supremacy; we want power through vote only."

Sanaullah, however, reiterated his party's longstanding stance on the legitimacy of the 2018 general elections, saying: "The establishment and non-democratic forces rigged the elections, and got a party a mandate that is fake."

Party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb made similar remarks, saying Mashhood's statement was his own and could not be attributed to the party leadership.

"The statement is surprising," she said, adding that the party has sought answers from the former lawmaker.

Mashhood's remarks prove that PML-N has designs on a deal: Nafisa Shah
Despite Mashhood's clarification that his party was not pursuing any "deals", PPP Information Secretary Dr Nafisa Shah construed it as an admission to the contrary.

"The cat is out of the bag following Rana Mashhood's statement," Dr Nafisa said. "It has thus been proven that the PML-N was actively seeking a deal with the establishment in the name of democracy."

https://www.dawn.com/news/1436383/punjab-govt-may-end-in-two-months-claims-pml-ns-rana-mashhood